After watching Connor Bedard log the first two games of his NHL career, it's Adam Fantilli 's turn to make his debut.
Taken third overall by the Blue Jackets in this year's draft , two spots after Bedard, Fantilli's importance to Columbus mirrors his counterpart's significance with the Chicago Blackhawks . They're each bedrock pieces and the Blue Jackets are eager to set theirs into the club's foundation Thursday during the season-opener against the Philadelphia Flyers .
It will also be coach Pascal Vincent's first official game as an NHL head coach.
"We're in the same position, right, and I'm going to enjoy it," Vincent said. "There's only one 'first' in your life. It will never happen again, so him and I, we'll have the same approach. We're going to enjoy it."
Fantilli will also celebrate his 19th birthday, all in front of family and friends who attend.
"I'm just excited to get everything going," he said. "I'm coming in with a 'growth' mindset. Rome wasn't built in a day, so the boys are going to be extremely hard-working to get to where we want to be and there's no doubt in my mind we can get there. I think we're going to surprise a lot of people this year with what we have in our lineup."
Fantilli's a big part of it.
He'll center the Jackets' third line, skating with Kirill Marchenko and Justin Danforth , and his pulse will be racing. Fantilli will also play with a motivation to prove himself, which has helped get him to this point.
"As much as I've been a higher-end or top-end player, whatever you want to call it, there's still guys who are 'better than you,' or have more success, and you're always chasing that," he said. "It's about proving it to myself more than anybody else, because that's what matters most, but I've played with a bit of a chip on my shoulder my whole career and I think a lot of guys in our room have too."
The last cuts of training camp included assigning defensemen David Jiricek and Nick Blankenburg to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League.
That was largely about their contracts, which allow the Blue Jackets to assign them to the AHL without risk of losing either through the waivers. That doesn't mean the Jackets' front office wants to keep either or both in Cleveland for a long duration.
According to Daily Faceoff, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is looking for a trade to reduce the glut of young NHL defensemen and create a roster spot or spots for Jiricek and/or Blankenburg to return. That might be easier said than done, as about half of NHL teams are squeezed tightly against the league's $83.5 million salary cap
Adam Boqvist , Andrew Peeke and Jake Bean are the most likely trade chips being discussed.
The Blue Jackets also have a log jam up front, which has given Vincent the ability to use healthy scratches as a motivational tool to spark internal competition.
That's essentially why second year forward Kent Johnson , the fifth overall pick in 2021 , wore a green "extras" practice jersey Tuesday and Wednesday. Vincent hopes to see Johnson add more "pace" to his play while not losing his creativity. Johnson skated on the third line during the preseason, but now might have to wait for a chance to rejoin the lineup.
"KJ will be a Blue Jacket for a very long time and he's going to be a great player, but one game is not going to define (him) if he doesn't play that first game," Vincent said. "It's not great, but there's going to be a few guys who are going to be in the position where they're not happy (this season). I think there's more pace to him, but his training was right and he's doing everything right. It's just … we have to make a decision and only 20 guys can play."
At the end of practice Tuesday, Vincent told the team that Justin Danforth, a versatile veteran forward, had agreed to a one-year contract extension that runs through 2024-25.
There was much rejoicing.
The deal is worth $1.1 million for next season to secure Danforth, who took a unique path to the NHL as an undersized forward. Danforth, 30, went from Sacred Heart University to the ECHL, AHL, Liiga in Finland and, finally, the KHL in Russia before signing with the Blue Jackets in 2021.
His work ethic, versatility and skill make him a valuable piece of the Jackets' roster and he's starting out with added motivation after losing most of last season to a shoulder injury. Sticking around beyond this season was part of his plans all along.
"(We had) a little back and forth, but this is a place that I want to be for my career, and I had the opportunity to sign a year extension, so for me it was a no-brainer," Danforth said. "I think what's going on here right now, it's special and it feels like a special group. It's something I want to continue to be a part of, and this helps."
Along with announcing Danforth's extension, the Blue Jackets also unveiled updates to Vincent's coaching staff.
The first involved director of pro scouting Josef Boumedienne, whose job has changed to NHL assistant coach. Boumedienne will be the Jackets' "eye in the sky" who watches games from the press box and stays in communication with the staff on the bench and in the locker room during intermissions.
Boumedienne will also be on the ice for practices. Assistants Steve McCarthy (defensemen) and Jared Boll (skill development) also signed one-year contract extensions Wednesday. They'll join Mark Recchi (forwards) as Vincent's three bench assistants."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 5 Columbus Blue Jackets notes before season-opener against Flyers
